We learn in Sefer Melachim how HaKadosh Baruch Hu saves and reinstates the honor of Am Yisrael when they are decimated and have no one to help them even if they are resha’im and chata’im and their kings serve idols. In Uganda 40 years ago He repeated the motif.
To Rabbi Dovid Gross shlita
I read your letter in last week’s Inbox (Issue 617) in which you commented on my column regarding the Entebbe rescue (Issue 615) and I was astounded. You quoted me as having written that it was Divine Hashgachah that pushed Israel’s leaders into taking such a mad risk which indeed turned out to be successful beyond any expectations. Yet as you point out it is well known that Rav Shach ztz”l objected to the way the rescue was carried out and declared that it contravened halachah. And therefore if I wrote that Hashem’s Hashgachah wanted it to be so then I was chalilah coming out against the psak din of Rav Shach.
Of course that was disturbing and I hastened to reread my piece in order to find out how my words could have conveyed such an idea for I was quite sure that I couldn’t have stumbled into such an error.
Upon rereading the article I felt calmer. Begging Rabbi Gross’s pardon I must say that my words were misconstrued and taken out of context for the article goes on to say — as gedolei Yisrael said at the time — that HaKadosh Baruch Hu heard and answered the prayers of the Jewish People and brought the miraculous yeshuah in response to that outpouring of prayer. And I stand by what I wrote that to this day I don’t remember anything equal to the atmosphere that prevailed while those hostages were being held. Fervent prayers rang out day and night from every shul and yeshivah even from the not-so-religious amcha who don’t usually engage in prayer.
